The article discusses all the ways the government was manipulating government statistics in 1967 in order to mask growing deficits–the same problem as today. The dollar may have been gold-backed in 1967, but the insights of the article are still relevant today. The first line should be captivating enough. “In this business, you have to choose between lying to people or scaring them to death.”
http://oppressedmonkey.com/2011/06/22/lesson-in-artful-dodging/

Realist - Everybody in America is soft, and hates conflict. The cure for this, both in politics and social life, is the same -- hardihood. Give them raw truth.